Stitch School: Running Stitch
The seventh in a series of posts about common (and not so common) embroidery stitches—what they are and how to do them.
Running stitch is primarily used for borders and accent details. I’ve seen it trimming the bottoms of tea towels—a nice way to pick up some of the colors from your main image. This example is interesting because it shows the difference in how it looks if you keep your threads smooth so they fan out (top) or twisted like a braid (bottom). Either way is fine, just be consistent in each line that you do.
You can use it for stem-like scrolls—
And for structural elements—a trellis for flowers or a border like this Greek-key design.
Bring your thread to the front on the right hand side of the line to be stitched. I didn't draw a line because my fabric is linen and it's easy to use the holes in the weave as a guide. Take a small stitch, skimming your needle underneath the fabric along the line.
Pull your thread through, then take another stitch. Keep both the stitch length and the space in between the same each time. This is super easy when using linen—just count the same number of threads each time. At the end of the line weave your threads in at the back. And that's it.
I almost feel like I'm cheating you this time around—it's so simple. So I'll add a variation called a Whipped Running Stitch. This is a nice way to add a second color to your work and makes a great-looking braided line.
After you've completed a line of running stitch, change your thread color. Bring the thread to the front just below the center of the first stitch on the right hand side.
Take your needle from top to bottom under the second stitch, making sure that you don't split the thread or pierce the fabric.
Pull the thread through keeping the tension loose. Take the needle from top to bottom under the third stitch; pull through.
Continue to the end of the line and take your thread to the back under the center of the last stitch. Here's what it looks like finished—
I've been holding off on showing you French knots but we really should do them next. It's a stitch that appears easy on paper but depends a lot on thread tension so can be frustratingly difficult to do. Some of you have written to tell me that french knots make you want to throw your work across the room and, believe me, I've been there. So, hopefully I'll be able to explain it clearly enough. You really have to practice though, and do it enough times that you stop thinking too much about it and just do it.
In case you missed other posts in this series:
Week 1: Stem and Outline Stitch
Week 2: Lazy Daisy Stitch
Week 3: Straight Stitch
Week 4: Satin Stitch
Week 5: Split Stitch
Week 6: Back Stitch
Running stitch is primarily used for borders and accent details. I’ve seen it trimming the bottoms of tea towels—a nice way to pick up some of the colors from your main image. This example is interesting because it shows the difference in how it looks if you keep your threads smooth so they fan out (top) or twisted like a braid (bottom). Either way is fine, just be consistent in each line that you do.
You can use it for stem-like scrolls—
And for structural elements—a trellis for flowers or a border like this Greek-key design.
Bring your thread to the front on the right hand side of the line to be stitched. I didn't draw a line because my fabric is linen and it's easy to use the holes in the weave as a guide. Take a small stitch, skimming your needle underneath the fabric along the line.
Pull your thread through, then take another stitch. Keep both the stitch length and the space in between the same each time. This is super easy when using linen—just count the same number of threads each time. At the end of the line weave your threads in at the back. And that's it.
I almost feel like I'm cheating you this time around—it's so simple. So I'll add a variation called a Whipped Running Stitch. This is a nice way to add a second color to your work and makes a great-looking braided line.
After you've completed a line of running stitch, change your thread color. Bring the thread to the front just below the center of the first stitch on the right hand side.
Take your needle from top to bottom under the second stitch, making sure that you don't split the thread or pierce the fabric.
Pull the thread through keeping the tension loose. Take the needle from top to bottom under the third stitch; pull through.
Continue to the end of the line and take your thread to the back under the center of the last stitch. Here's what it looks like finished—
I've been holding off on showing you French knots but we really should do them next. It's a stitch that appears easy on paper but depends a lot on thread tension so can be frustratingly difficult to do. Some of you have written to tell me that french knots make you want to throw your work across the room and, believe me, I've been there. So, hopefully I'll be able to explain it clearly enough. You really have to practice though, and do it enough times that you stop thinking too much about it and just do it.
In case you missed other posts in this series:
Week 1: Stem and Outline Stitch
Week 2: Lazy Daisy Stitch
Week 3: Straight Stitch
Week 4: Satin Stitch
Week 5: Split Stitch
Week 6: Back Stitch
Labels: embroidery, Stitch School
posted by janet at 1:55 PM
7 Comments:
how do you tell which stitch to use when looking at a pattern? do the patterns come with a guide?
I love stitch school! Will there be a test?
Your series is really great - and all your work is so lovely.
Good luck with the french knots - I always have trouble getting the tension right, and they are differentl sizes!
I'll work on a post about patterns and stitches—that's a great question. New patterns shouldn't be a problem, but old ones take a bit of intuition :)
Hmmm...a test (said with an evil laugh)...that's a good idea.
I am so thankful for these stitching tutorials--it's a great refresher course for some stitches and helpful for new ones. I look forward to the dreaded French knots.
You explain and illustrate all these so well you should put them in a book- or at the very least a zine, so we can carry them round with us. I'm not looking forward to French knots at all...but I trust you to find a way to explain them to me so that I don't kill anyone in the process of trying to make them.
Thanks so much for posting these great tutorials! I have your blog bookmarked for future reference.
Post a Comment
<< Home